


Promptly

by Dippy (tinydipper)



Category: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Genre: Gen, old stuff wowowow, overuse of the word 'promptly'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-17
Updated: 2013-07-17
Packaged: 2017-12-20 11:23:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/886666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinydipper/pseuds/Dippy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur is still not used to the everyday happenings on board the Heart of Gold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promptly

**Author's Note:**

> Wow look here's a quick little diddy I made back in '08 it's probably the best thing i've ever written let's take a peek

Ford Prefect was laughing. He relaxed a little, then a thought floated in past his weakened defenses, and yet again he was in hysterics.  
Arthur had a feeling this would repeat its’ self for quite a while. Seeing his friend roll on the floor, clearly in pain, made him just downright uneasy. Ford was so staggeringly red in the face, it would put a particularly juicy tomato to shame. Gales of laughter racked his body and he never even gave the slightest hint of subsiding.  
“You’re a great bluffer, Ford, we all know that.” Arthur said. Ford acted as though he would quieten down, but quickly returned to his previous state of hilarity, extinguishing all hope for peace and quiet.  
“You don’t need to draw attention to yourself, I realize you think that something is funny, so just stop it.”  
Ford refused.

Trillian wandered from the kitchen bearing her watering can, deciding to tackle the daunting task of watering the plants that had appeared on the deck of the starship Heart of Gold after an incident with the infinite improbability drive. She pondered to herself if the drive would ever need a fresh cup of tea, and if so where she could find one, and then proceed to safely transport it from point A to point B without point C making a mess of things. Point C being Arthur Dent. She began to water a small tray of sunflowers, mind drifting over the thought of ever having children.

Zaphod smiled. He found himself doing this a lot lately. Not because he was particularly happy, but because it usually made people nervous. And when people were nervous, they were about sixteen percent more likely to do a favor for him, (say, to get him a beer), than if they were in an acute state of pity, due to a frown presented on his face.  
Zaphod tried a small wink. The mirror winked back at him. Although, this was a usual behavior for a mirror and shouldn’t be made a big fuss about.  
Yes, that would do nicely. That would scare the willies out of that Earthman, Adrian.  
No, wait. Not Adrian. What was his name?  
His smile dropped slightly. No, that’s not right. Zaphod cleared his heads and smiled again, counting to make sure at least eight teeth were showing.  
There. That would work. Now time to go get a beer.

Ford’s laughter issues were finally coming to a resolve. With a final sigh, Ford slumped heavily back into his chair and promptly downed the rest of his drink.  
“Ah,” he said.  
“What was that about?”  
“I was thirsty.”  
“What, you fall helplessly into hysterics every time you get thirsty?”  
“No. I drink when I get thirsty.”  
Ford opened another bottle of beer and promptly drank that, too. Then to top it off, he promptly took Arthur’s bottle and promptly finished the rest of his for effect. Arthur opened another bottle and Ford took it from him. Arthur open another one.  
“So why were you laughing?”  
“Because I thought something was funny.”  
“What was funny?”  
“You.”  
Arthur tried to drink his whole bottle, but ended up with about half an inch left at the bottom.  
“How was I funny?”  
“Because I just realized that you wore that zarking robe all the way through prehistoric Earth, every day for about six years, without the privileges of a proper bath. and you still didn’t smell as bad as I expected.”  
“What the hell are you talking about, Ford?”  
Ford took a sip of his beer. He then took a bigger gulp to make that sip look more interesting.  
“Oh. Right. Well, you’ll see. No use in me ruining the surprise, now is there?”  
He then picked up his satchel, patted Arthur’s shoulder, and walked down to the entry bay, opened the ramp, and walked off into a new and exciting planet.

Ford walked in from his room.  
“Hey, Arthur, have you head about the General Mish Mash Theory? Really interesting stuff.” He then vaguely started chittering about wild goose hunting.

Arthur, very promptly, fainted.


End file.
